east valley
Volume 2 Issue 13 Mesa, AZ
October 13, 2019
Mesa jeweler warns not all diamonds are your friend BY JORDAN HOUSTON Tribune Staff Writer
I
IN THE BIZ
n the last five years, the quality of labmade diamonds has skyrocketed to the point where they are now commonplace in rings, necklaces and earrings – sometimes unbeknownst to their buyers. In the name of transparency, a Mesa jeweler is doing his part to ensure his clients know exactly what they are paying for. David Nelson, who has been in the industry since he was 15, opened Nelson Estate Jewelers with his wife several years ago. The company is a full-service jewelry store that buys, sells and repairs “valuables” – including estate jewelry. Now, the store is setting itself apart by using a DiaTrue CS, a machine that detects the origin of almost all types of diamonds. “It’s the responsibility of an ethical, quality jeweler to make sure their clients are getting what they pay for,” said Nelson. “I think that it has to be something that is on the forefront of every reputable jeweler’s mind,” he continued. To use the OGI Systems device, Nelson places a ring setting or parcel of a stone onto a plate that is then inserted into the machine. The $6,000 device will detect which diamonds are natural and which are not, depending on how the light interacts Public Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2019 East Valley Tribune
David Nelson and his wife Aubrey inspect diamonds at his Mesa shop. (Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Staff Photographer)
with the properties of the stone. “It takes a bunch of pictures and reads how the optical properties work,” said Nelson. “When dealing with lab-made diamonds, they are grown differently than a natural diamond,” he added. “So, they have different trace elements and it gives a different kind of reading on the machine.” Nelson said the device can determine the origin of 98 percent of all diamonds that come into his store. The other two percent are called “Type II,” which have no measurable nitrogen impurities, and have to be referred to a (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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gemological lab, he explained. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission declared that lab-grown diamonds are in fact real diamonds, but that their value is not equal to their natural counterparts. All diamonds are priced using a global system created by the International Integrated Reporting Council. Prices are generated first based on the “Four C’s” of diamonds: carat, cut, clarity, and color. Whether they are lab-grown or mined is then taken into consideration. Nelson expressed that while he beSubscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ 85026.
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